I left for Vegas today. I was extremely stoked to get on the road and see America from the saddle of my steel horse. My plan was to go to Las Vegas then Hoover dam on the way to the Grand Canyon then off to Four Corners and back south to Albuquerque New Mexico all by Thursday afternoon.

$3.71 a gallon and a free show!

I left around 11:30 am and made a quick stop at Westminster Harley to pick up a white button up road shirt to get some protection from the sun because I hate lotions and sunscreens. I quickly gobbled up the California freeways to the desert and man it was hot. I stopped for gas around Death Valley the only stop for many miles. The gas was $3.71 a gallon for regular and that’s all they had. As I filled up I noticed a breeze kick up some dust on the gas station driveway and it quickly turned into a dust devil which is kind of like a mini tornado, it was so cool, it grew

Pink elephants in Vegas Go figure

about 25 feet in height and slowly walked across the lot about 50 feet from me. I was mesmerized and by the time I got out my camera it was over, it just dissipated. One minute dead calm and then a swirl of air and dirt sand and dust grows into a twirling funnel and then dead calm again with the only evidence of this phenomenon being the particles of matter floating back down to earth. Way cool!   Incidentally it was 130 degrees! 

 Full of fuel and another bottle of water I headed for Nevada. Speaking of water I would buy a bottle of ice cold water and within two three miles it would be hot water. So I started to buy water more often and use the hot bottle to pour over my head to cool down. as I rolled down the road the air would cool it just enough but of course I would be dry in a couple miles anyway. BTW the space between the windshield bracket and the headlight make a good spot for a couple of bottles.

 Well I had been looking for place to eat and at this point McDonalds was as good as any. While I am eating a young man, David, asks if I have any change for a soda. I told him wait till I finish and I will hook him up. To be honest I was a little ticked you know the whole get a job thing rushed through my head. But I don’t like assuming that because this guy is asking for money he is some kind of bum. So I said sit and talk with me and I’ll buy you lunch. We talked for a few and then I gave him six bucks to get a value meal. As I watched him turn the corner I wondered if he would just walk out the other door. I finished my meal and tossed the trash and could have left through the door I came in but curiosity got the best of me and I walked up front and there was David waiting for his meal. I breathed a sigh of relief and walked up to him and said “look bro someday soon you will be back on top and maybe you’ll have the chance to help someone out of a jam the way I helped you”  he smiled and agreed. We shook hands and I hit the road.

 I rolled into Prim Nevada and the first thing you see is a casino but Las Vegas is another 50 miles. Now I had no reservation for I was told “it’s early in the week and off season so getting a room would be a cinch”. Well there were two conventions in town basketball and carpenters. Long story short Vegas was sold out. So here I am in sin city sitting at a Denny’s wondering why the hell I am here anyway. Well the natural attraction to see what all the hubbub is about and Ladyfingers loves it so what the hell I will check it out and it might be cool to shoot some video of the strip from the bike. 11:00 or so I find a motel room right under the Stratosphere. Zach put it this way I could have paid more and stayed at the Stratosphere and had a blah motel to look at but I stayed in a blah motel with a view of the Stratosphere. It had AC a bed and a pool so I was in. I took a swim and a shower and rode the strip with the cam on the fork if you wanna check out the video. Then I filmed some stuff around the hotel and went into the Stratosphere. Let just state my philosophy on gambling. I don’t generally bet on anything unless I am involved you know like pool or something. Games of chance are just not my thing but when in Rome… so I bet two bucks in some one arm bandit and WON! $30.00 I cashed the ticket and said thanks for the day’s gas and meals and went to bed.